Both of Us .org

JSP and I have enjoyed the past few weeks. Work has been going well for both of us and we spent our last two weekends out of town. Last weekend we went to the beautiful town of Bayfield, Wisconsin, and went sailing with our friends Rod and Georgianne on Lake Superior. Sailing in and out of the apostle islands in a luxurious sailing vessel was fantastic. JSP and I are now big fans of sailboats.

This weekend we went to a beautiful piece of land outside of Finlayson, Minnesota. Although the insects were not so friendly, everyone else was. We enjoyed nature walks, a bonfire, games of boccie ball and Catan, yummy food and and good times with Cosmic Monkey, Emma, and a whole gang of fun, friendly people. I especially enjoyed seeing the Digging In garden that Cosmic Monkey and Emma started been writing about. A special thanks to Hilty clan for their hospitality.

Elsewhere, from their South Minneapolis home, my friends Patrick and Morgon Mae have begun documenting their participation in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) on their blog CSAte. The photos they share illustrate the bounty of tasty food they write about. CSA's are a great way of supporting local farmers while receiving copious amounts of fantastic food.

On a completely unrelated note, my sister published a book review on a Web site called Donne Tempo. Her review, Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. is compelling and well written. If you are looking for a new book to read, check out Julie's review.

Labels: friends, garden, Minnesota

The world's best and safest web browser, Firefox, releases a buffed up new version today.

The Firefox team is trying to set a Guinness Book world record for the most people to download software in a single day. You can help them set this record by clicking the Download Day badge.

Update: The promoters of Download Day claim that over 8 million people downloaded their software on one day.

Labels: computers

I've sensed a low grade pressure in my head for several days now. It does not really hurt, but feels like there is a constant slow pressure in my skull. Not pain, but the feeling that a headache could come at any time. Brain tumors remain in my head. The image at right is not my MRI.

After my last MRI, Dr. A said that the metastasis in my brain look very stable, so concern is likely unwarranted for now. If a future MRI were to show increased tumor activity, I could have another Gamma Knife procedure, which would hopefully be as effective as the last one appears to have been.

Work has been going very well and my colleagues tell me that I look good. I have put back on some weight and my hair is making an attempt to grow back.

I'd like to get out and start playing soccer again, but I am not sure that a high level of physical activity will be good for me. Increased blood flow and aerobic activity would stimulate muscle growth, but could stimulate tumor growth as well. I am sitting on the fence on this one.

Labels: Melanoma, MRI

One aspect of my life that I have power over is what I choose to put into my body. As a stage IV cancer survivor, I believe that food is one of the strongest therapies that I have to help keep the weed of cancer in check.

Friends and family ask me if I am still following the Gerson Therapy. I have never been able to follow the full recommended therapy to the letter, but I have taken principles from what I understand to be the philosophy and basic fundamentals of the dietary approach to healing. First off, I believe that my body is capable of fighting my cancer.

After my initial diagnosis of Melanoma in 1998, I lived in remission for nine years without chemo or any other therapy. To me this means that my body was keeping this cancer weed in check. I was vegetarian and generally ate very well. I was athletic and also drank alcohol but not to an excessive degree. I believe that I without knowing that I still had cancer in my system, I was helping my body to keep it in check via the choices I was making in my diet.

The principles that I follow from the Gerson therapy include

• drink as much fresh organic fruit juice as is reasonable, for me this is about 4 cups daily
• eat a vegetarian diet consisting primarily of fresh and organic fruit, vegetables, and grains
  
• follow an 80/20 ratio of allowing myself to eat 20% of things which are not vegetarian organic things, such as sushi
• avoid refined sugars and flour most of the time
• avoid alcohol
• avoid taking prescription and over the counter drugs when possible
• use appropriate dietary supplements, guided by Gerson therapy recommendations
  
• use coffee enemas twice daily, when possible, to assist the gut with elimination of waste products and toxins
  

I do not see this path a way to "save myself" but rather as a way to enjoy a healthier and possibly longer life. I do not have any hard evidence that following this regiment is helping my body, but I believe that choosing to put primarily fresh organic foods into my body will increase my quality of life, even if it does not prolong my life.

The 80/20 rule lets me justify stepping away from the rules of my diet for a special occasion, or even an occasional craving for Afghani pizza. Flexibility and taking pleasure in eating are equally important to me as putting healthy food into my body daily.

Labels: food, juicing, Melanoma

I received the following email message last night from my doctor.

Dear John,

I had a call today from the National Cancer Institute.

Right now, they believe that you are not a candidate for the gene transfer study.

They are concerned that you had too many brain metastases when you started treatment.

I think that this decision is an error, since the brain abnormalities seen on your MRI now represent treated areas, scars, and there have been no new areas of abnormality.

I have asked them to review this decision.

I will keep you posted on this, and other options.

Dr. A.

This means I don't have to pack my bag and fly off to Maryland.

I feel a certain level of disappointment about this development, but I am not disheartened

Having Pascal and Henzz here from Amsterdam has been fantastic. They have been enjoying themselves having made trips to the Mall of America, Valley Fair, 7 Sushi, the Stone Arch Bridge, The Walker Art Museum's sculpture gallery, Grand Old Day, and other unique Twin Cities locations and events. I am sad to think about their departure later this week.

I will celebrate my thirty-third birthday on Friday the 13th of this month, the same day of the week I was born on lo those many years ago. The early the following day we will travel with our friends Rod, Georgianne, and Vanessa to Bayfield, WI to begin a two day sailing trip on Lake Superior.

Happiness is having wonderful things to look forward to.

Labels: clinical trial, friends